The Mechanic’s Tale

by Steve Matchett

  Jos Verstappen, a great bloke and a real star, seen here during the 1994 Barcelona test.

  J. J. Lehto’s pre-season Silverstone shunt more or less finished his Formula One career (pictured here at Imola 1994).

  One of the last photographs ever taken of Ayrton Senna, at Imola in 1994, seen here in his Williams ahead of Michael Schumacher’s Benetton.

  Steven Tee, standing alongside us, is the photographer responsible for many of the pictures in this book. He recorded the now legendary 1994 Hockenheim fuel-stop when Verstappen’s B194 blew up.

  The big screen, relaying live television coverage to the crowds in the stands at Silverstone 1995.

  When Schumacher and Hill collided during the 1995 British Grand Prix, an incident which forced both of them out of the race, this surprising result became a possibility. However, it still required a lot of hard work by everyone in the team to secure the cup.

  Michael Schumacher and Flavio couldn’t believe what was happening at Silverstone in 1995; indeed, none of us could.

  Once again, with Schumacher and Hill out of the race at Monza in 1995, the way was clear for the team’s other swift and reliable B195 to take the chequered flag.

  Michael Schumacher’s eighteenth Grand Prix victory at Aida in 1995 was the win that secured his second Drivers’ World Championship.

  The team celebrates its new success at Aida 1995 – the chap in the centre of these two photographs is Paul Seaby, the man inside the burning overalls of the cover photograph.

  It was all over bar the shouting. Michael Schumacher’s victory in Aida secured his own Drivers’ Championship and set the scene for us to clinch our Constructors’ Championship in Suzuka in the very next race, where all that was required was for the two Williams’ cars not to finish. They duly obliged. It was an important day for us – the big boss himself, Luciano Benetton, was also there – second from the left in the back row. He shook my hand, thanked me and even poured me a glass of champagne.

  Gerhard Berger chats with Flavio at Aida 1995, soon after the announcement that Michael Schumacher was moving to Ferrari.

  Ross Brawn tries to bring things back under control at Sao Paulo 1996. Less than twelve months later he followed Michael Schumacher to Ferrari.

  Two old Ferrari team-mates, Gerhard Berger and Joan Villadelprat, try to figure out what was going on at Sao Paulo 1996.

  Sao Paulo 1996.

  The last victory. Berger and I end our run of Grand Prix wins with this final one in Hockenheim, Germany, in 1997. He and I both experienced our first and last Formula One wins while working with Benetton.

  Barcelona (test) 1998 – in the few months that I worked with Alex Wurz I saw the same qualities in him, the friendly relaxed attitude, the calm determination, that I had seen in Michael Schumacher some eight years before.

  Throughout all of 1995 we worked to secure that number 1, and we then had to hand it straight to Ferrari. It is given as a reward to the World Champion driver, not the World Champion team.

  Seen here at Buenos Aires in 1997, Michael is fully engrossed in his new challenge of helping to bring Ferrari back to the top again, while mine is merely to sit in the sun and write books in France. Formula One has been good to us both, although only one of us is a multi-millionaire.

  My final task for Benetton was to install the lighting into their new garage equipment, seen here. I hope they’re enjoying it. David Richards, standing alongside Giancarlo Fisichella, succeeded Flavio as chief executive in 1997, but lasted less than a year before he too was replaced. From being the 1995 World Champions Benetton finished in fifth position in 1998.

  Index

  accidents, shunts, crashes (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  in 1994 (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  Estoril 1989, Mansell and Senna (i)

  Imola (1994) (i), (ii), (iii); (1995) (iv)

  pit-stop: (i), (ii), (iii); accidents, Spa (iv), (v); Hockenheim 1994 (vi), (vii), (viii)

  with Schumacher (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  active suspension (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  testing (i), (ii)

  Adelaide, Australian GP: 1990 (i); 1991 (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv), (v), (vi); 1994 (vii), (viii), (ix), (x)

  aerodynamics (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Aida, Japan (i), (ii)

  Alboreto, Michele (i)

  Alesi, Jean (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Alex (restaurateur) (i)

  Alf Francis – Racing Mechanic (Lewis) (i)

  Alfa-Romeo (i)

  all-night work (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  AP Racing, brake components (i)

  Argentine GB (Buenos Aires): 1995 (i); 1996 (ii), (iii)

  Arundel, Onyx factory (i)

  Ascanelli, Giorgio (i), (ii)

  Australia, holidays (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Australian GP (Adelaide): 1990 (i); 1991 (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv), (v), (vi); 1994 (vii), (viii), (ix), (x)

  Australian GP (Melbourne) 1996 (i), (ii)

  Autocourse (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Autosport (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  back injury (i), (ii)

  balloon trip (i)

  Bamber, Jim (i)

  Banbury: Ottakar’s (i)

  Banbury’s Gentleman’s Outfitters, Woodstock (i)

  Barcelona (i), (ii)

  Spanish GP 1995 (i)

  Barnard, John (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  B191s (i), (ii)

  B192s (i)

  at Ferrari (i), (ii)

  Guildford Technical Office (i), (ii), (iii)

  Barnard, Phil (i)

  BBC (i); Midweek (ii), (iii)

  Beausoleil, Olympia hotel (i)

  Belgian GP (Spa): 1990 (i); 1991 (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv); 1994 (v), (vi); 1995 (vii), (viii); 1998 (ix)

  Benetton, Luciano (i)

  Benetton (i)

  B189 monocoques (i)

  B190s (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  B191s (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  B191Bs (i)

  B192s (i), (ii), (iii)

  B193s (i), (ii), (iii)

  B193As (i)

  B193Bs (i), (ii)

  B193Cs (i)

  B195s (i), (ii), (iii)

  B196s (i)

  factories: (i); Enstone (ii), (iii), (iv); Godalming (v), (vi), (vii), (viii); Witney (ix), (x), (xi), (xii); storemen John and Alec (xiii)

  fear of TWR buyout (i)

  Grand Prix wins (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v); first one-two finish (vi)

  logos (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  mugs (i)

  seasons 1991 (i); 1994 (ii); 1995 (iii), (iv); 1996 (v)

  SM application (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  SM joins (i), (ii); considers resigning (iii), (iv)

  SM leaves (i), (ii), (iii)

  see also pit-crew; team effort; team kit

  Benetton fashion house (i)

  Benetton Group (i)

  Berger, Gerhard (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  with Benetton (i), (ii)

  black flag, Mansell & Senna (i); Schumacher (ii)

  bleeding (purging hydraulics by air) (i)

  Blenheim Palace (i), (ii)

  blue-roll (i), (ii)

  BMW

  electronics (i), (ii), (iii)

  SM joins Cooper-BMW dealership (i), (ii), (iii)

  SM moves to Benetton (i), (ii); SM considers returning from Benetton (iii), (iv)

  Boat (pub) (i), (ii)

  books (i), (ii)

  Chipping Norton bookshop (i)

  on motor racing (i), (ii)

  see also Life in the Fast Lane

  boots and shoes

  Piquet’s (i)

  SM’s Timberland shoes (i), (ii)

  Brabham (i), (ii)

  Brackley, BAR factory (i), (ii)

  brake-cleaner (i)

  brakes

  ABS assemblies (i), (ii)

  brake ducts (i)

  discs and pads (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); in race truck (v)

/>   tractor brakes (i)

  ‘brakes on’ board (car-control board) (i), (ii)

  Brawn, Ross (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  Brazilian GP (São Paulo): 1990 (i); 1991 (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv); 1995 (v); 1996 (vi), (vii)

  Brembo, brake components (i)

  Briatore, Flavio (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  appoints Schumacher (i)

  leaves Benetton (i)

  letter to team members (i)

  British American Racing factory (i), (ii)

  Broadstone Manor, Chipping Norton, TWR base (i), (ii)

  Brundle, Martin (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  Budapest, Hockenheim GP: 1990 (i); 1995 (ii); 1997 (iii); 1994 pit-lane fire (iv), (v), (vi)

  Buenos Aires, Argentine GP: 1995 (i); 1996 (ii), (iii)

  Butterworth, Dave (i)

  Byrne, Rory (i), (ii), (iii)

  calculators (i)

  Canadian GP (Montreal): 1990 (i); 1991 (ii), (iii); 1992 (iv); 1995 (v); 1998 (vi)

  car numbers, on start-finish line board (i)

  car-control board (‘lollipop’; ‘brakes on’ board) (i), (ii)

  Carbon Industrie, composite racing brakes (i)

  chairs, in Benetton reception (i)

  champagne (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  chassis (i), (ii), (iii)

  B193s (i)

  chemi-clean (i)

  Chequers (pub) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  chilli vodka (i), (ii)

  Chipping Norton (i), (ii), (iii)

  Enstone factory (i), (ii), (iii)

  Chris (BMW mechanic) (i)

  Christmas party at Broadstone Manor (i)

  City and Guilds apprenticeship (i)

  coffee (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Benetton mugs (i)

  communication during race (i)

  black flag (i), (ii)

  Compleat Angler (hotel-restaurant) (i)

  components, identification numbers; lifting (i)

  computers (i), (ii)

  computerized electronics (i)

  computerized suspension system (i), (ii), (iii)

  semi-automatic transmissions (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Constructors’ Championship 1990 (i), (ii); 1991 (iii), (iv); 1992 (v), (vi), (vii); 1993 (viii); 1994 (ix), (x)

  1995 won by Benetton (i), (ii)

  beginnings (1958+) (i)

  SM determined to win (i), (ii), (iii)

  contracts of employment (i), (ii), (iii)

  Cook, Steve (‘Tats’) (i), (ii), (iii)

  Cooper-BMW, Rotherly dealership

  SM move from Ferrari (i), (ii), (iii)

  SM move to Benetton (i), (ii)

  cork mats, in sub-assembly dept (i)

  Corradini, Claudio (i) , (ii)

  Costa, Aldo (i)

  Coughlan, Mike (i), (ii)

  Coulthard, David (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Williams’ test driver (i)

  Cowlishaw, Mick (i)

  Czapski, Tad (i)

  Dali, Salvador (i), (ii)

  dampers, front (i)

  Davies, Giselle (i)

  Dennis, Ron (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Diniz, Pedro (i)

  disqualifications (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Dodgins, Tony (i), (ii), (iii)

  Dover, Michael (i), (ii), (iii)

  drawer dividers (i)

  driverless cars (i)

  Drivers’ Championship (Formula One World Championship): (i), (ii), (iii); 1989 (iv), (v), (vi); 1992 (vii), (viii)

  Piquet (i), (ii)

  Prost (i)

  Schumacher (i), (ii), (iii)

  dry-break couplings (i)

  Dundee, Dave and Phil (i)

  Earle, Mike (i)

  Ecclestone, Bernie (i)

  electronics (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  BMW (i), (ii), (iii)

  Elf, fuel illegality (i)

  engines (i), (ii)

  Honda (i), (ii), (iii)

  longitudinally mounted with transverse gearbox (i)

  V8s (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  V12 (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Enstone factory, Chipping Norton (i), (ii), (iii)

  Estoril (i), (ii), (iii)

  Portuguese GP: 1989 (i); 1993 (ii), (iii)

  Eurobrun team (i)

  F1 Racing (magazine) (i), (ii)

  fabrication department (i)

  Falklands War (i)

  Fangio, Juan Manuel (i), (ii)

  Ferrari, Enzo (i), (ii)

  Ferrari, Guildford Technical Office (GTO), Surrey (i), (ii), (iii)

  Ferrari road cars (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  SM work (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Ferrari team (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  1988 (i), (ii); 1989 (iii), (iv); 1990 (v), (vi), (vii); 1991 (viii); 1994 (ix); 1995 (x); 1996+, Schumacher (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv)

  John Barnard (i), (ii), (iii)

  FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile)

  1994 disputes (i)

  disqualifications (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  rules: (i), (ii), (iii); brake on technology (iv); pit-stop refuelling (v)

  rulings (i)

  see also refuelling

  Field, Greg (i), (ii), (iii)

  with Onyx (i), (ii), (iii)

  fines (i), (ii)

  Fisichella, Giancarlo (i)

  flags

  black flag, Mansell & Senna (i); Schumacher (ii)

  red flag (i)

  flat in Woodstock (i), (ii)

  Flavio see Briatore, Flavio

  flushing-rig (i), (ii)

  FOCA passes (i)

  footwork team, 1995 season (i)

  Formula One (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  finances: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); Benetton (v), (vi); Champions’ winnings (vii); cost of race cars (viii), (ix), (x); Moreno golden handshake (xi); sponsorship (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi)

  Grand Prix elite (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); see also Constructors’ Championship; Drivers’ Championship

  single-make formula (i)

  staff allegiances (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  watching other teams (i)

  four-wheel-steer system (i), (ii), (iii)

  France, SM home (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Francis, Alf, Alf Francis – Racing Mechanic (Lewis) (i)

  Frankfurt Book Fair (i)

  French seasons: 1990 (i); 1995 (ii)

  Frentzen, Heinz-Harald (i)

  Fry, Pat (i)

  fuel (i)

  B191 pressure problems (i)

  disqualification for technicality (i)

  fuel-injected cars (i)

  Gagingwell (i)

  ‘gambit’ (i)

  gearboxes (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  manual transmission (i), (ii)

  semi-automatic transmission (i), (ii)

  transverse (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Gibson, Carl (i), (ii), (iii)

  Glover, Brian (i)

  Godalming, Benetton site (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Going Bananas (restaurant) (i)

  Goodman, Louise (i)

  Graypaul Motors (i), (ii)

  Guildford Technical Office (GTO; Barnard/Ferrari) (i), (ii), (iii)

  Hakkinen, Mika (i)

  Hamilton, Maurice, Race Without End (i)

  Hamish Hamilton (i)

  Handkammer, Kenny (i), (ii)

  Harris, Bill (i), (ii)

  Harry (physiotherapist) (i)

  Hazleton Publishing (i), (ii)

  Head, Patrick (i), (ii)

  Heard, Mike (i)

  Herbert, Johnny (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  Hermitage, Monte Carlo (i)